Why Do Some People Hate Homeschooling?
A recent article about homeschooling (written by a homeschooling father) posted to Salon.com attracted over 550 comments before they finally had to shut down the comments function.
The comments were interesting and widely varied, but what caught my eye is something I've noticed before. Those who were against homeschooling weren't just opposed to it. They were wildly, vehemently against it. It reminded me that there are some people who really hate homeschooling.
Take this commenter, for instance:
"Home schooling" is not much of an education.
How can you learn about the world if you aren't allowed to associate with anyone else in it? How can you learn to think critically if you're never exposed to any new or challenging ideas? If you only ever have 1 teacher, how will you learn much?
And I find it difficult to believe that a stay-at-home mom is much of an expert on analytical mathematics, calculus, biology, chemistry, or physics, not to mention modern US, European, Asian, and world history--classes that every high school student should take. And are you really able to offer your children instruction in a foreign language and musical instrument of their choice? And do you know anything at all about ancient or modern English literature /p>
It's also an appalling waste of (usually their mothers') time--who should perhaps think about going back to school themselves.
An "appalling waste" of time.....a strong word for something that really isn't anyone else's business, don't you think? But that guy is a mild example. Get a load of this one:
The main reason for home schooling is not the low quality of American public schools; if parents cared about that they could volunteer to help in schools. Nor is it developing that intense, almost pedophilic contact with their children. It's to keep their kids away from those of darker shades and non-Evangelical Christian beliefs. Most of these parents don't have great educations to begin with, and they want to protect their children from the Godless Communist Socialist beliefs they might encounter out there in the real world.
Children raised in such kennels are perfect for manning the picket lines around abortion clinics and staffing the crowds at teabagging events. They don't think, they can't think, and therefore they are the perfect cannon fodder for wars against health care, or real wars for that matter. Whatever reasons you may have for locking your children in the closet, Mr. O'Hehir, they're not the reasons that the vast majority of loons are doing it.
Nice, huh? I have the feeling these people don't approve of what our family has been doing for the past 25 years. How sweet of them to be so concerned!
Seriously, though, what is it that gets some people so riled up against homeschooling? Why do they hate it?
First off, there's ignorance. Note the first commenter's claim that homeschoolers "aren't allowed to associate with anyone else" and are "never exposed to any new or challenging ideas." He's sure out of the loop. Most homeschooling parents are trying to navigate more social experiences and educational opportunities for their kids than they can fit into their schedules.
As for the second commenter, who said that homeschooling parents just want "to keep their kids away from those of darker shades and non-Evangelical Christian beliefs," he's apparently unaware that there are plenty of homeschoolers "of darker shades and non-Evangelical Christian beliefs." But ignorance isn't his only problem. He describes the close relationship between homeschooling family members as "almost pedophilic." I think a person must be really messed up to even think that way.
These commenters are excellent examples of ignorant homeschool critics; the second one also has some serious anger issues. But there are many others who are critical of homeschooling for their own reasons. You may meet them in your neighborhood or at a family reunion. It can be hard to take their critical attitudes about homeschooling, but knowing why they feel the way they do may make their attitudes easier to accept and ignore.
Some homeschool critics feel threatened by homeschooling because deep down, they feel that the success of homeschooling is an indictment of their own public education or the one their children experienced.
Others believe that those who homeschool are judging them by rejecting what they've done with their own children. When you meet someone like this, once they find out that you homeschool, they may become very defensive and subject you to a laundry list of all the wonderful activities their children are involved in at school.
Many homeschool critics feel guilty because they can't imagine spending all day with their own kids, because they want the time for themselves or because they don't like how their kids behave (which is, ironically, behavior often made worse by being in school and learning ugly behaviors).
Others opposed to homeschooling are very invested in the idea of experts, and resent anyone who goes against the flow. They're the people who rush to the "Self Help" section of their local library or bookstore every time they have a problem. They rely on the judgments of so-called experts instead of their own judgment; seeing homeschoolers take the bull by the horns and educate their children at home instead of sending them to school shakes their faith in experts, and makes them feel insecure.
In a few cases, the answer could be simpler than we think. Perhaps they pay a ton of property taxes to the schools where they live; people who chose not to use said schools make them wonder if they're being ripped off (usually, they are!)
Ultimately, people who criticize and even verbally attack homeschoolers are saying more about themselves than they are about homeschooling, which is why we can't take it personally. Their issues have nothing to do with us or our decision to homeschool. Allowing their comments to bother us just distracts us from the task at hand.
Instead, we need to counter their false accusations, if we're up to it (after all, we are kind of busy). Otherwise, we can just ignore them. Either way, we shouldn't let their pot shots at homeschooling make a dent in our homeschooling confidence. The best way to counter misinformation about homeschooling is to raise kids who defy the critics' expectations.
One more thing: don't focus on the people who hate homeschooling. For every "loon" out there criticizing homeschooling with ignorance and gusto, there are others who truly get it and know what they're talking about, like this Salon.com commenter:
I am a fourth grade teacher with over ten years' experience. I'm very good at what I do. If I could conduct my classes in the way you describe your attitude toward home schooling (the description of the house with three engaged learners, particularly, fills me with yearning) I would definitely do it. If you came to me as a parent of one of my students asking if you were doing the right thing to take your kids out of school and work with them on personalized programs of learning, tailored to their needs and interests, I would mourn their loss from my class and encourage you to go for it. As hard as my colleagues and I try to make school a meaningful, engaging experience for each student, today's public schools are unfortunately exactly what you describe: socialization factories devoted to raising test scores and approaching education via what Jonathan Kozol describes as "the amputated chunks of knowledge known as state standards." There is no room for digressions that would follow students' interests or the teachers' special expertise in environmental education, drama, or carpentry, all of which could easily blend into the days of a home-schooler.
Every parent I know wants his or her kids to experience learning appropriate for their developemental stage, and to grow into capable, literate inquirers with a love of learning, who nurture their own talents and take action to address issues of importance to them. Sadly, public schools give lip service to ideals like these, and then require teachers to spend most of their time measuring and endlessly documenting picayune "skills," the better to predict performances on the state test.
Again, good for you. I wish you the best of luck. You have made a very educationally sound move. Makes my grinchlike schoolteacher heart grow three sizes just reading about it.
http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2009/
09/28/confessions_homeschooler/
Copyright 2009 Barbara Frank/Cardamom Publishers